This invention relates to an agent presentation apparatus for transmitting and receiving a message and operating based on a knowledge base (knowledge description) and a rule base (action description) and in particular to an agent presentation apparatus wherein an agent for carrying out a user""s request in user""s behalf uses knowledge of knowledge description, action description, etc., between agents and executes communication.
Available expert systems in related arts are as shown in FIGS. 32 and 33. They are provided by rewriting background examples in a format close to the invention and do not strictly match the background examples. xe2x80x9cScriptxe2x80x9d called in the invention are called xe2x80x9cknowledge basexe2x80x9d in the background examples. xe2x80x9cScript execution meansxe2x80x9d called in the invention are called xe2x80x9cinference enginexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cpresentation execution meansxe2x80x9d in the background examples. FIGS. 32 and 33 use the xe2x80x9cscriptxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cscript execution means,xe2x80x9d terms of the invention. An expert system to which network communication is added is called xe2x80x9cagentxe2x80x9d in the invention.
The expert system shown in FIG. 32 is a background example disclosed in JP-A-6-51935. Script storage means stores description of knowledge for displaying a number of presentation documents in a window system and description of the display operation of the next presentation document for the button selected in the window system. Presentation framework can be used in common and a presentation system can be constructed easily.
The expert system shown in FIG. 33 is a background example disclosed in JP-A-5-143346. To describe the inference result of script execution means and the process to the inference result, the script execution means drives a driver for displaying text, graphics, a moving picture, a still image, voice, etc., for easy understanding and enhancing the utility value of the expert system.
However, in the expert systems in the related arts, presentation contents need to be all prepared matching each presentation. A mechanism for enabling use of already existing contents, a function of using contents on a network, and a mechanism for previously downloading contents on a network for local use are not available. Since the network is not considered, a large number of contents in a wide range cannot be used.
Further, a mechanism for making it possible to make presentation adjusted to a schedule is not available and it is impossible to make spontaneous presentation over a wide area by moving between machines of presentation systems.
It is impossible to make a search for contents on a network inclusively and present the contents of the search result directly for the user in order like a slide show. The search result cannot be held for later report like a slide show. Contents and address thereof cannot be sent from any other agent or system for making a presentation. It is impossible to make presentations compete with each other. Automatic information exchange between agents, introduction of other agents, search of the agent itself, calling of an agent from a WWW browser, and the like cannot be executed.
It is therefore an object of the invention to make it possible to use a large number of already existing contents with an agent presentation apparatus. It is another object of the invention to make it possible to use a schedule to view a plurality of presentations in response to the time like TV programs, to cause agents to compete with each other for presentation, and to search for an agent and call the found agent.
To the ends, according to the invention, there is provided a n agent presentation apparatus comprising user input means for inputting a user message, an agent for processing the user message and outputting a presentation message, message analysis and execution means for analyzing the presentation message and generating an output instruction, image output means for outputting an image in accordance with the output instruction, text output means for outputting text in accordance with the output instruction, voice output means for outputting a voice in accordance with the output instruction, a WWW browser for displaying a WWW page in accordance with the output instruction, file storage means for storing files of the output means, and a WWW server for getting a WWW page and executing a command according to an instruction from the WWW browser, wherein the agent comprises message input means for receiving the user message, script storage means for storing a script consisting of knowledge description and action description, script execution means for executing the script based on description selected by executing pattern matching between the user message and the script, and message output means for transmitting a presentation message from the script execution means.
According to the configuration, the agent can start the WWW browser and use a large number of already existing contents to make a presentation. Driving the WWW browser means the operation of the browser such as xe2x80x9creturn,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cadvance,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cstop,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cupdate,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cquit,xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cmove.xe2x80x9d
The agent presentation apparatus further includes scheduling means for transmitting and receiving a message to and from the user input means and the script execution for managing a presentation schedule, presentation script and file transmission means for transmitting a presentation script and a file, file and script reception means for receiving a file and a presentation script from the presentation script and file transmission means, storing the file and the presentation script in the file storage means and the script storage means, and generating a reception notification signal, and agent start means for staring the agent if the reception notification signal is received and it is determined that necessary script and file have been received.
According to the configuration, a schedule can be used to view a plurality of presentations in response to the time like TV programs
The agent presentation apparatus further includes an agent for receiving a search message, converting the search message into a message for making a request for searching WWW pages, and transmitting a URL of the search result as a message to the agent sending the search message and a search server for searching WWW pages and returning a page containing the URL of the corresponding page.
According to the configuration, a dedicated agent can be used as an interface to more than one search server, the URL of the search result can be received, and the contents can be displayed on the WWW browser at the URL for the user to directly view the search result.
The agent presentation apparatus further includes agent management means for registering agents, transmitting a message from the user input means to the registered agents, and transmitting a message transmitted from each agent to the registered agent other than the message transmitting agent.
According to the configuration, input/output messages can be exchanged between the agents for making a presentation and the agents can be made to compete with each other for presentation.
The agent presentation apparatus further includes agent transfer means for transferring an agent, agent start and termination means for starting and terminating the transferred agent, and agent management means for registering and deleting an agent in response to notification from the agent start and termination means and when an agent is registered, for transmitting a previously registered agent name to the newly registered agent and the newly registered agent name to the previously registered agent.
According to the configuration, the WWW browser can be used to make presentations one after another on the network.
The agent presentation apparatus further includes an agent for transmitting a call message, agent transfer means for transferring a called agent to the location of the calling agent, and agent start and termination means for starting the called agent.
According to the configuration, information can be automatically exchanged and another relevant agent can be introduced and can be moved by the agent transfer means, so that relevant agents can come one after another for making a presentation.
The agent presentation apparatus further includes user input means for inputting a keyword for searching for the user-desired agent and a search system for searching for the corresponding agent according to the keyword and transmitting a message for calling the corresponding agent.
According to the configuration, a search can be made for an agent and the found agent can be called.
The agent presentation apparatus further includes message preparation means for preparing a message for selecting an agent out of the WWW browser and calling the agent through the WWW server.
According to the configuration, a program called from the WWW browser is provided with message preparation and transmission functions to an agent, whereby the agent can be called from the WWW browser.
According to the first aspect of the invention, there is provided an agent presentation apparatus comprising user input means for inputting a user message, an agent for processing the user message and outputting a presentation message, message analysis and execution means for analyzing the presentation message and generating an output instruction, image output means for outputting an image in accordance with the output instruction, text output means for outputting text in accordance with the output instruction, voice output means for outputting a voice in accordance with the output instruction, a WWW browser for displaying a WWW page in accordance with the output instruction, file storage means for storing files of the output means, and a WWW server for getting a WWW page and executing a command according to an instruction from the WWW browser, wherein the agent comprises message input means for receiving the user message, script storage means for storing a script consisting of knowledge description and action description, script execution means for executing the script based on description selected by executing pattern matching between the user message and the script, and message output means for transmitting a presentation message from the script execution means. The agent presentation apparatus of the invention has the advantage that the agent uses the knowledge description and the action description to drive the WWW browser for making a presentation.
According to the second aspect of the invention, there is provided an agent presentation method comprising the steps of executing pattern matching between a user message entered by the user and a script held in an agent, selecting and executing the corresponding description, outputting a presentation message, analyzing the presentation message, generating an output instruction, outputting an image, text, or a voice in accordance with the output instruction, getting and displaying a WWW page from a WWW server or a file system, driving a WWW browser, and making a presentation to the user based on user input from the WWW browser. The agent presentation method of the invention has the advantage that the agent uses the knowledge description and the action description to drive the WWW browser for making a presentation.